Wedding Video

This past weekend I had the pleasure of working with Jocelyn and Ryan Photography. They were a dream to work with - seriously the nicest couple! We had great communication and their company made the day go so smoothly. I know that not every photographer/videographer relationship goes that smoothly on wedding day, so I wanted to offer 4 tips that I’ve learned over the past 3 years.

1. Acknowledge that both jobs are equal. The couple has hired both of you to document their day. That means that both photo and video are equally important to the bride and groom.

2. Communicate. Communication is the only way you can know what to do, where to be, and how to make the day run smoothly. Every wedding I video, I’m connecting with the photographers before the ceremony to game plan everyone’s placement. I let them know I’m not going to be in their way, running through their shots, or monopolizing their time with the couple. Good photographers do the same.

3. Know your place. While both jobs are equal, photographers play a bigger part in directing the day. Photographers are the ones who will set the pace, organize all the family photos, and keep the day moving. A videographer’s job is to capture great footage without interfering with the timeline.

Videographers, stay behind or beside the photographers during portrait time – you don’t want to be in the background of the portraits or in the way.

Photographers, leave some time for your videographers to direct during the portrait time (seriously, we only need like 5 minutes).

4. Nail the ceremony and reception. To do this, you must communicate placement beforehand. Everyone has a different shooting style and placement, plus every venue has a different layout. The most important thing to discuss is the isle and steady cam placement:

Videographers, do not (for any reason) put a steady cam in the middle of the isle. People use the isle to walk in and out – the bride, the photographers, the wedding party, guests who have to pee, unattended children, etc. Put the steady cam off to the side, behind the guests and use a tight lens to cut out the isle and focus on the couple. Have a camera on a monopod that you can use to move around with to catch the bride coming down the isle, the corner angles, reactions, wider angles, etc. If you have more cameras, set them up in inconspicuous places. Be aware of where the photographers may be shooting – don’t set up a camera behind the officiant or directly beside the wedding party. The photographer needs those angles to be clear for photos.

Photographers, while this rarely happens, it’s worth noting; please don’t walk in front of the steady cams or any video camera for that matter. 9 times out of 10 there’s plenty of room behind the cameras. Video cameras aren’t mobile and if we move them or someone walks through the frame, we can’t use that part of the footage, so do us a solid and just walk behind them. Let your videographers know where you like to be during the ceremony so we can set up our cameras out of your way. If you like to be in the isle during the kiss, let your videographer know so they can be beside you and not lose out on that footage.

In summary: Communicate; we're all here for the benefit of the couple.What advice do you have in working in tandem with a photographer and videographer?